STARZ to bring Gaiman's Amercan Gods to television

STARZ has given the green light to FremantleMedia North America's (FMNA) adaptation of Neil Gaiman's acclaimed contemporary fantasy novel, American Gods.

Bryan Fuller (Hannibal) and Michael Green (Heroes), will pen and show-run the series. Gaiman will executive produce it and FremantleMedia North America will produce. The start of production is dependent on casting the lead role of Shadow Moon.

"Almost 15 years ago, Neil Gaiman filled a toy box with gods and magic and we are thrilled to finally crack it open and play," Fuller and Green said. "We're grateful to have STARZ above us and FremantleMedia at our backs as we appease the gods, American or otherwise."

The 2001 novel has been translated into over 30 languages and earned numerous accolades including Hugo, Nebula and Bram Stoker Awards for best novel. The plot posits a war brewing between old and new gods: the traditional gods of biblical and mythological roots from around the world steadily losing believers to an upstart pantheon of gods reflecting society's modern love of money, technology, media, celebrity and drugs. Its protagonist, Shadow Moon, is an ex-con who becomes bodyguard and travelling partner to Mr Wednesday, a con-man, but in reality one of the older gods, on a cross-country mission to gather his forces in preparation to battle the new deities.

"I am thrilled, scared, delighted, nervous and a ball of glorious anticipation," Gaiman said. "The team that is going to bring the world of American Gods to the screen has been assembled like the master criminals in a caper movie: I'm relieved and confident that my baby is in good hands. Now we finally move to the exciting business that fans have been doing for the last dozen years: casting our Shadow, our Wednesday, our Laura."